Means for keeping stock-record of certain merchandise in retail establishments



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MEANS FOR KEEPING STOCK RECORD OF CERTAIN MERCHANDISE IN RETAIL ESTABLISHMENTS.

No. 483,659. Patented Oct. 4, 1892.

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No. 483,659. Patented Oct. 4, 1892.

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1). H. STERN. MEANS FOR KEEPING STOCK RECORD OF CERTAIN MERGHANDISE IN RETAIL EVSTABLISEMENTS.

No. 483,659. Patented Oct. 4, 1892.

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DAVID H. STERN, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

MEANS FOR KEEPING STOCK-RECORD OF CERTAIN MERCHANDISE lN RETAIL ESTABLISHMENTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 483,659, dated October 4, 1892.

Application filed May 27, 1892- Seria1ll'0.494,578- (N'o model) pertains to make and use the same.

My invention has reference to a stock-manual specially adapted for use by retail shoe dealers; and it consists in devices that will show at all times the exact size and character of shoes contained in a box, carton, or other lnclosure, the number withdrawn therefrom from time to time, and the class, grade, size, or other designation of each pair taken out of the receptacle in which they were originally deposited, all as hereinafter described, illustrated in the drawings, and specifically pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, wherein like letters of reference point out similar parts on each view, Figure I represents two full pages of the stock-manual employed in carrying out my invention; Fig. II, two other full pages illustrating the means employed for tabulating and classifying certain descriptions of foot-gear. Fig. III represents several views of upper portions of other pages of the stock-manual. Fig. IV represents two pages illustrating the manner of separately indexing the several classes and subclasses under their respective titles. Fig. V

represents, on a reduced scale, other pages of tion and overstock of grades and sizes that have not been withdrawn by sales or otherwise and onlya minimum quantity of classes that have been taken out of the respective packages. In the original supply each class comprises-for instance, in a dozena given number of specific grades and characteristics and a given number of special sizes. It is important that the retailer shall keep intact a stock of shoes for customers of every size, grade, and character, and not an oversupply of any special classification. To readily secure this object without repeatedly and continually going over the boxes or other inclosures of the salesroom is the aim and object of my invention.

In order to ascertain the actual contents of the several boxes or other inclosures as now in practice, they must each be separately emptied, every pair of shoes overhauled and closely examined, and a tabulated list thereof carefully made out when it is necessary to replenish the inclosures. Repeated handling of shoes destroys their polish and general appearance, they become disfigured, or what is known as shop-worn, and not unusually portions become ruptured. This mischief is overcome by means of the stock-manual herein described, besides dispening with the labor and loss of time necessary in the ordinary manner of arriving at the result to be attained.

In Fig. I, I have shown two pages of the manual, arbitrarily designated by ordinals 1 and 2. The pages are ruled with horizontal lines A, as common in analogous articles, leaving a blank unruled section B at the upper portion for reception of a designating classtitle I), which in the pages illustrated in Figs. I and II are Infants Dongola Turns and Childs Dongola W'edge-I-Ieels, respectively. The main surface of the sheet is provided with a number of vertical lines 0, thereby forming a series of quadrangular spaces 0, for a purpose presently set forth. The number of such vertical lines is not important. In some classesfor instance, boys and misses shocsthere are not as many sizes as in others, and these vertical lines willbe necessarily wider apart than where a greater number of sizes have to be tabulated. To the left of each page two vertical lines are displayed too from the top to the bottom of the sheet, as seen at 00, leaving two rows of marginal spaces for reception of certain imprints presently pointed out. Shoes of certain description have particular designating-titles known to the trade but not by other persons. In carrying out my invention these trade-names b are imprinted at the top of each page in a blank nnruled space B. To the left of these titles, on spaces intervening between the upper end of vertical lines 0c 00, are imprinted, respectively, the words Price and Width or modifications thereof which point out what they indicate. Gontinuously upon each horizontal line below the caption Price, in succession, is placed the general selling-price of each grade of shoes of the title to which the page is devoted, as fully illustrated in the drawings. Under the caption Width in like manner is a series letter or other symbolic scale, which indicates the character of the shoes in this particular, and in like manner if there is any modification of the captions. Of course the prices printed on the marginal spaces may be changed by the merchant at discretion. Directly under the title I) and upon the upper one of the horizontal lines A, in successive order, is displayed the grade-number of shoes of the title appearing on the space 13. In Fig. I this grade-number is shown on one page as commencing with 0 and progressing by half-sizes in regular order to 5 and on the other page commencing with 3 and progressing in like manner until reaching terminal number 7%.

It is contemplated to print on the several pages. the title, the number, the price, designation of width, and the captions thereto in the manner described and illustrated, leaving a series of quadrangular spaces 0 for practicing the invention in the following manner:

The shelves or other fixtures of the salesroom are provided with suitable cases or compartments, each supplied with one pair of shoes of the requisitecharacter, grade, and size. When there is permanently withdrawn therefrom,by sale or otherwise, one or more of the contents of said inclosures, the person so doing will entera predetermined symbol, preferably in pencil, on the appropriate blank space 0. For illustration, on one page of Fig. Ithere are indicating-symbols showing that four different persons have each taken out a pair of shoes, to wit: size 3 of width D, size 1 of width 0, size 2% of width B, and size 1 of width D. On the other page of Fig. I there are symbols showing that size withdrawals have been made by three persons, to wit: 3% and 4, width 0; 3% and 4, Width B; 7 Width D,

' and 6:} width The symbols of withdrawal on the respective rectangular spaces are merely suggestive, and may be employed to refer to the sales-clerk. Such person should, however, enter in the appropriate space can indicating-letter or other mark showing the the establishment can at any and all times ascertain the exact contents of each package or compartment, which, it will be understood, must be labeled, respectively, with the title 6, displayed on the space B of pages of the manual; As each receptacle is resupplied with substitutes of the class, grades, and sizes therefrom previously withdrawn, the symbols on the quadrangular spaces a, which have been marked, preferably with pencil, are erased, and so on in succession as withdrawals and restorations are repeated from time to time.

In combination with the described sheets of the manual I employ a novel form of index which is adapted for ready reference to the several classifications and which can be consulted for the purpose intended without Waste of time or risk of error.

The shoes are classified by age and sex. In compliance with such arrangement I devote one or more pages of the index solely to each division and display on each page subdivisions, whereon there is a direct reference to each and every page shown on all the pages of the other figures. It will thus be understood that for all styles and classes of each division but one page of said index need be consulted and no alphabetical indicia is necessary. I deem this a very useful device for employment in combination with the described manual.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The means for keeping account of stock in a retail shoe-dealers establishment, which consists in abook-manual, each page of which is devoted to a separate class of shoes, the respective pages having displayed on blank space E trade-title b of the division or class,

under which title are horizontal lines A and vertical lines 0, two of said vertical lines extending the full length of the page, whereby a series of quadrangular spaces 0 are formed, each page having in upper spaces between the two longer vertical lines the captions Price and Width, each page of the manual having displayed upon its upper horizontal line in progression ordinals indicating the size-number of shoes, compiled on said page, as and for the purpose intended, substantially as described.

2. A shoe-stock manual having separate pages, each devoted to a special class of shoes,

the description being displayed on a space at ,7

age to which the several pages refer, in com bination with an index having pages each separately devoted to a special class of shoes and having displayed at the top of each page of said index a caption directly referring to the coincident title B shown on the several pages of the manual, as and for the purpose intended, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the invention above set forth I affix my signature in pres- [O ence of two witnesses.

DAVID H. STERN.

Witnesses:

P. LOUIS GARY, WM. WAGNER, Jr. 

